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George I (George Ludwig von Guelph-d'Este) ( 28 May 1660– 11 June 1727) was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) from 23 January 1698, and King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714, until his death. He was also the Archbannerbearer (afterwards Archtreasurer) and a Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. George I, the first Hanoverian monarch of Great Britain and IrelandThe island of Ireland ire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Irelan, was not a fluent speaker of the English languageThe English language is a West Germanic language, originating from England. It is the third most common "first" language (native speakers), with around 402 million people in 2002. English has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the mil; instead, he spoke his native GermanGerman (called Deutsch in German in which germanisch refers to prechristian times), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and one of the world's major languages. It is the language with the most native speakers in the European Union., and was for this ridiculed by his British subjects. During his reign, the powers of the monarchy found themselves diminished; the modern system of government by a CabinetAlternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers . In some countries, particularly those underwent development. During the later years of his reign, actual power was held by a de facto Prime Minister, Sir Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford ( 26 August 1676 18 March 1745), normally known as Sir Robert Walpole is generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. The position of Prime Minister was only a de facto one, having no official recogni.1 Early years
George was born on 28 May 1660 in Hanover, GermanyAlternate meanings: Hanover (district), Hanover (region), Hanover (state), other uses Hanover (in German: Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ]), on the Leine river, is the capital of the state of Lower Saxony Niedersachsen in Germany. It is also the c. He was the eldest son of a German Prince, Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and of his wife, SophiaThe Electress Sophia of Hanover was born Sophia, Pfalzgrafin von Simmern, at The Hague on October 14, 1630, and died at Herrenhausen on June 8, 1714. Daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine also known as King Frederick V of Bohemia and Elizabeth Stuart. George was the heir-apparent to his father's vast German territory.
In 1682Events March 11 Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. First black slaves arrive in Germany French court moves to Versailles Halley's comet makes an appearance, and is observed by Edmon, George married his first cousin, the Princess Sophia of Celle . After they had two children, George (in 1683) and Sophia Dorothea (in 1687), the couple were estranged. George instead preferred his mistress, Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, whom he later created Duchess of Munster and Kendal in Great Britain, and by whom he had at least three illegitimate children.
Sophia, meanwhile, had her own romantic connexion with the Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck. Threatened with the scandal of an elopement, the Hanoverian court ordered the lovers to desist. When they refused, George appears to have countenanced a plan to murder Königsmarck. Königsmarck was then killed in July 1694, and his body was then thrown into a river. The murder appears to have been committed by four of George's courtiers, one of whom is said to have been paid the great sum of 150,000 talers (about one hundred times the annual salary of the highest-paid minister).
George's marriage to Sophia was dissolved, not on the grounds that either of them committed adultery, but on the grounds that Sophia had "abandoned" her husband. With the agreement of his wife's father, George had Sophia imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden in her native Celle. She was denied access to her children and her father, and forbidden to remarry. She was, however, endowed with an income for her servants and was allowed to ride in a carriage outside her castle (albeit under supervision).
